Painting the Blackboard, or Writing, by Kelly R. Samuels

Untitled, by Cy Twombly (USA). 1968.

Painting the Blackboard, or Writing            
​
To shuttle: to travel back and forth.
Here to there.
There to here.
Across the width of this room, here. We, two.
You are the mode
and I am the transported. Wavering, with my heel dug
into your side.
The clasp as you start back.
The vehicle I use.
 
What is that word?
Conduit.
 
Your trembling legs and lurch and
my uplift of arm. The heady scrawl. There, that’s it, now
we’re onto something.
 
And now, go!, my arm sweeping
and the paint nothing special – crazed
on the front porch, where the sun has gotten to it –
and the wax crayon ground down.
 
Who were you?
 
They’ll stand in the room

years later and want to trace my scribble,
my chicken scratch, as my grandmother used to say.
Seeing meaning.


Kelly R. Samuels
​
Kelly R. Samuels lives and works as an adjunct English instructor near what some term the “west coast of Wisconsin.” Her poetry has been nominated for Best of the Net, and appeared online at apt, Off the Coast, Burningword and The Summerset Review.